Box for shipping, displaying, and storing fragile articles such as thermometers or the like



y 4, 1953 c. F. ALDRIDGE 2,645,334

BOX FOR SHIPPING, DISPLAYING, AND STORING FRAGILE ARTICLES sucn AS THERMOMETERS OR THE LIKE Filed March 24, 1951 s 4 OIIII'IIII'IIII'IIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIO'III 3 5 l I I 5 i INVENTOR. CLARENCE F. ALDRIDGE ATTORNEY Patented July 14, 1953 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE .BOX FOR SHIPPING, DISPLAYING, AND STORING FRAGILE ARTICLES .SUCH AS THERMOMETERS OR LIKE Clarence F. Aldridge, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Taylor Instrument Companies, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 24, 1951, Serial No. 217,356

3 Claims.

with a thermometer shown mounted therein;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2, but showing a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section.

Referring to the drawing, the number 5 designates the bottom of the box and 6 designates the cover thereof which is suitably hinged on the bottom. In the present hinge arrangement the bottom is providedwith pins I projecting from the ends thereof to serve as pintles which enter the apertures in the ears 8 carried on the ends of the cover near the rear side thereof. The front sides of the box bottom and of thecover respec tively carry a releasable interengaging latch part 9 and a catch part [0. It will be understood, that these parts can be sprung apart to open the box. While the top and bottom can be made in any suitable manner, it is preferred that they be molded plastic material. If desired, the box top may be transparent to display the contents of the box.

The two inner side Walls of the box bottom, near each of its ends, carry opposed U-shaped supports H opening toward each other. Each opposed pair of supports ll, retains a resilient piece of tubing herein referred to as tube 13 which extends transversely of the box bottom and which is preferably somewhat tacky. Tubular pieces of polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene satisfied this requirement. Each pair of supports is spaced from each other so that the article to be contained in the box, such thermometer l2 can rest freely between their opposing ends on their related tube [3.

The cover is provided with one or more inwardly directed ribs [4 to engage the top'of the thermometer and thereby force it downward until the resilient tubes [3 are compressed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. In the preferred arrangement shown in Fig. 2, each rib engages the thermometer at a point directly over one of said tubes.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 3, the single rib on the cover is so located as to engage the thermometer at a point thereon between the two tubes l3, thereby forcing it downward to compress these tubes.

It should be mentioned that each rib has an exposed knife-edge adapted to engage certain of the graduations (not shown) on the reading surface of a flat type thermometer. This engagement resists endwise movement of the thermometer, thereby tending to prevent its breakage by reason of its ends striking the ends of the box.

While the present box is especially adapted for shipping and storing a glass thermometer, it is understood that the invention is not limited to this usage, since the box is applicable to the shipping and storage of any elongated article which is subject to breakage.

What I claim is:

1. An elongated box for containing an elongated article and comprising a bottom and a top hinged together, cooperating latch elements on said bottom and on said top to releasably hold the box closed, pairs of opposed U-shaped members secured to and spaced along said bottom with the open ends of a pair of members facing each other transversely of the bottom, the opposed members of a pair being spaced from each other a distance sufficient to freely receive said article therebetween, spaced resilient pieces completely contained in said pairs of members to extend transversely of said bottom, said pieces having portions lying in a given plane and on which said article rests, and rigid means on said top and projecting toward said plane to a point spaced from 7 said plane a distance less than the thickness of said article when the box is closed, said rigid means being adapted to engage and to force the article resting on said pieces into engagement therewith.

2. An elongated box for containing an elonated article and comprising a bottom and a transparent top hinged together, cooperating latch elements on said bottom and on said top to releasably hold the box closed, pairs of opposed channel members secured to and spaced along said bottom, the opposed channel members of a pair extending transversely of the bottom and being spaced from each other a distance sufficient to freely receive said article therebetween, spaced resilient tubes confined in said pairs of channel members to extend transversely of said bottom for supporting said article, said tubes having portions lying in a given plane and on which said article rests, and a plurality of rigid ribs on the inner surface of said top extending transversely thereof, said ribs projecting toward said. plane to points spaced from said plane a distance less than the thickness of said article when the box is closed, each rib being alined with one of said tubes and being adapted to force an article resting on its alined tube into engagement therewith.

3. An elongated box for containing an elongated article and comprising a bottom and a transparent top hinged together, cooperating latch elements on said bottom and on said top to releasably hold the box closed, pairs of opposed channel members secured to and spaced along said bottom, the Opposed channel members of a pair extending transversely of thebottom and being spaced from each other a distance sufficient to freely receive said article therebetween, spaced resilient tubes confined in said pairs of channel members to extend transversely of said bottom for supporting said article, said tubes having portions lying in a given plane and on which said article rests, and a plurality of rigid ribs on the inner surface of said topextending transversely thereof, said rigs projecting toward said plane to points spaced from said plane a distance less than the thickness of said article when the 7 box is closed, each rib being alined with one of said tubes and having a sharp edge to engage the article.

CLARENCE F. ALDR'IDGE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

